Don't dismiss a pool noodle because of the simple sounding name. They are far more reliable than any vinyl or plastic air filled bag. Pool noodles can't leak - they never lose their floatation ability. They won't break down. They create tremendous floatation, forever.

I use several pool noodles in all my SOTs. They stay to the sides and don't get in the way of any other gear. Also they displace a lot of water so there is less to deal with if swamped. I can add or subtract as needed. Just thread them in along the sides and done. They can not deflate.

Okay... I have a confession... The more I hear about pool noodles on this forum, the more I'm being won-over to their graces. It's just that I've seen a lot of improvised gear that didn't work out so well for the poor souls who relied on it. Perhaps this has made me overly suspicious, as I find that the older I get, the harder my safety-related habits are to change. Maybe I'll go pick up a couple noodles & start experimenting with 'em.

I have one of the early TI's that didn't include foam. One of the first things I did was to install NRS float bags inside the bow and stern. Both bags are clipped in so they're secure but easy to remove. I've never had a problem with interference of rudder lines, nor have I had any issues with storage at either end of the hull.

I read all the posts above and was impressed with some of the math that others have done, and many suggestions are great ideas. Nonetheless, I simply feel more secure on the water with the purpose-built flotation bags.

I was in a search and rescue helocopter squadron in the U.S. Navy, and one thing I learned is that water is absolutely unforgiving. As such, I'd never trust my life to simply cramming a pool noodle into the hull. You spent a LOT of money on the boat. A few more bucks for two flotation bags won't break the bank.

Good advice I think, and for the type of use I am doing storage is not too much of an issue. My flotation bags are in and so far no issues.

Nonetheless, I simply feel more secure on the water with the purpose-built flotation bags.

Bump!

Got the part about pool noodles not looking so bad.

But has anybody got a set of bags that fit their AI2 bow-and-stern?

If so, what make/model and how do you make them stay in place?

On my AI2 the rudder lines seem to be encased in poly tubing so I am thinking that the rub/wear factor would be nil and that a bag in the stern could just be blown up enough to float, but not enough to pinch the poly tubing..... the remaining factor being how to keep the bag from migrating forward.

We have swamped our TI several times now, we still have the original flotation foam inside the hull. With the AMA's on there are really no problems, even if the hull is almost full , the boat stays upright and level, to pump it out you may have to get out of the boat though and pump while in the water next to the boat until you get at least some of the water out.The only time in my opinion that you need better flotation (mostly in the bow area), is when in kayak mode. What happens is the rear of the boat stays afloat, but the bow sinks like a rock, and becomes extremely heavy, near impossible to lift in deeper water. At least that's our experience.By adding a few pool noodles in the bow area this seems to make it a little easier to recover from a swamped boat.Pretty much every time we have swamped ours, we accidentally left hatches open, or the one time we swamped while running mild rapids (huron river in Ann Arbor MI) we had a hatch open to retrieve a camera, then got sideways, then tipped while the boat was trapped against a couple really big boulders, and the water rushed into the open hatch. (we were in kayak mode). The bow sunk to the bottom, and was very difficult to get the boat out of there.Of course it works best if you don't forget to close your hatches. Even when very full of water, the boat pedals fine, just very slow. I now always keep at least a couple pool noodles in the bow area (cheap insurance), plus we use them when at the sand bars hangin out.

...we swamped while running mild rapids (huron river in Ann Arbor MI) we had a hatch open to retrieve a camera, then got sideways, then tipped while the boat was trapped against a couple really big boulders, and the water rushed into the open hatch. (we were in kayak mode). The bow sunk to the bottom, and was very difficult to get the boat out of there....

Hope this helpsFE

Wow, FE, that is really dangerous to people and boat. Lucky you didn't wrap your TI hull right around one of those boulders! (Or pin you or your passenger between the boulder and the boat. Potentially deadly.)

Keith

_________________2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

....early TI's that didn't include foam. One of the first things I did was to install NRS float bags inside the bow and stern. Both bags are clipped in so they're secure but easy to remove.

How did you clip them in?

I am coming around to the idea put forward by most that a swamped hull with amas in place is not as big a deal as I thought it would be.

That being said....

I have a couple of decent-sized dry bags that somebody gave me and I am starting to load one of them up with empty 1-liter bottles.

For the bow, this seems to work well because the top of the dry bag crams nicely into the tapered portion of the hull while the rest of the bag's diameter is a pretty good match for the hull's ID - and the bag is soft enough that I can slide the Mirage Drive's flippers underneath it if/when I want to store the Mirage Drive up there.

But it would be nice to make that bag stay crammed forward in the bow instead of drifting backwards to where it's floatation might push the fore hatch open if there were enough water in the hull.